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Mayor touts falling crime, EMS awards and civic programs; astronaut greets the city from ISS
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Summary
The mayor reported a roughly 35% drop in crime while population rose about 10% over a decade, highlighted EMS and library awards, described youth civic programs, and introduced Friendswood resident and astronaut Jack Hathaway, who sent a video greeting from the International Space Station.
The mayor used the State of the City to highlight public-safety trends, civic programs and community recognition.
Citing charted figures, he said Friendswood’s population has increased about 10% over roughly 10 years while the crime rate has fallen by about 35%, and he recognized police and emergency responders for that trend.
The mayor described the city’s deployment of roughly a dozen drones staged at multiple launch points to assist first responders, saying drones can reach scenes faster than patrol vehicles and are launched from locations including the police department, the Public Service Building, City Hall and Water Plant No. 7.
He also noted the city’s emergency services won a ninth consecutive Gold Award from the American Heart Association and named EMS Captain Stacy Cone as a 'Stars for Life' honoree. Library staff were recognized for receiving the Achievement of Excellence award (one of about 100 of 545 Texas libraries) and for programming such as high-school graduation support and a Sept. 26 gala.
On civic engagement, the mayor described Friendswood Academy (a multi‑week civic class), a Kids Council program that lets second graders role‑play city offices, and a Teen Leadership program that teaches conservation and service. He encouraged residents to sign up for city notifications and to take part in Small Business Week activities in late April.
A video greeting played from Jack Hathaway, identified in the address as a Friendswood resident and NASA astronaut assigned to Expedition 74 on the International Space Station; in the clip Hathaway thanked the community and asked residents to "give us a wave when we fly overhead." The mayor invited Hathaway’s wife Amy, present in the audience, to stand.
The mayor closed the recognitions by naming Representative Greg Bonin and Chief Stan Kozlowski as honorees in his 'Friends with Legends' series and summarized their public service and civic contributions.
